Starborn
by rosepetalsinthewind
Summary: Starfire, or Koriand'r, was once a prisoner of the Gordanians. She was once a slave, and once she had become a mother... but only once. Her child was stolen from her. Sollinn, the counterpart parent to Starfire's offspring- Nyx-, was under the rule of Enoch; who had asked for the child to be bred. Enoch needed the child, but what for? Even Sollinn herself knew not of Enoch's plan.
1. Prologue

It was cold, and she was afraid. Mud clung to the torn rags that were her clothes and it clumped together in her once beautiful, fiery hair. She huddled against the wall of her pen, which was rather small; barely six feet wide and just about seven feet long. She rubbed her globe of a belly, feeling the restless movements of the child within. She whined when a rather rough kick hit her bladder.

Koriand'r wanted to cry. She wanted her parents, she wanted the child out of her (though she couldn't deny that she already loved the baby, despite the circumstances) and she wanted to go home. She tried her best to comfort the unborn infant squirming within, but it was almost as if the babe didn't speak Kori's mother tongue. Rubbing her swollen belly didn't even calm the child, it only seemed to make things worse. She heard snorting laughter, and turned to glare at her captors as they mocked the young pregnant girl, taunting her with various obscenities. Just nine months ago, she had been given the 'joyous' promotion of being a breeder, and her captors had inseminated her with the seed of some other life form. Kori could tell that, like her, the baby was humanoid; though not completely Tamaranian. She bit back a soft cry as a small bit of pain washed through her being, but she comforted herself. She didn't know what would happen as soon as the baby made its arrival to the world, but she knew deep down that she did not want to part with the child. A slight weight had just begun to press against her pelvis, but she brushed it off as nothing- her bright emerald eyes locked on the orb that had once been a flat, toned stomach.

Warmth spread between her legs, and she frowned, confused, when all of a sudden the shocking pain hit her.

Koriand'r screamed, arching her back slightly. Her captors, though slightly shaken, seemed rather apathetic that the girl had gone into labor. She begged them for help as the pain intensified, a heavy and angry pressure stabbing against her pelvis, but they refused to move. She gasped for air, her lower stomach burning fiercely. Her muscles contracted, and she let out another pained cry. The weight shifted lower, but just barely. She was lying on her side now, her legs parted as best she could manage through the blinding pain, and then it hit her that her orangish skin was painted with crimson. She screamed again, though more out of fear than pain this time as the baby's weight shifted further down her birth canal. Her nails dug furiously into the dirt again as she continued to push, sweat beading her forehead. Something had left her lower regions, now resting against the dirt, but Kori was too afraid to look to see what it was. Then, almost all at once, something ripped free of her with a rush of fluids. That's when the guards came, forcing Kori to stay down. The baby had begun to wail, and some tired thought about the infant's lungs being strong left the young mother's mind. But the moment was short lived.

"Please," Kori pleaded, sobbed, "Let me hold her just once."

Her captors, however, ignored her with blatant disregard. They cared not for Koriand'r or her sake, nor did they truly care for Koriand'r's child. She watched them with wide, tearful eyes as they carried the infant, who was still covered with its birth blood, to another. The 'other' was a cloaked and masked male, all in black. The eye sockets of the male's mask (and Kori could tell it was a male due to the masculine figure the person had, not to mention that the male was human) were an angry, malicious red. Beside the male stood a female, a bit shorter than Koriand'r by perhaps one or two inches, with a rather cherubic face and shocking bright eyes the color of ice crystals. The baby's eyes matched the strange female's oddly well. The female, however, had a scar that tore across her face from the right eyebrow to the left part of her jaw. It seemed to fit the stranger's warrior-like appearance. This female was not human, or at least not completely. Kori could sense her strength, her influence.

Koriand'r realized her observations were worthless. She would never see that infant again, she would never see the female or the masked one again. It was a bittersweet thought; becoming rid of a child, who she had not wanted yet had found herself dreaming of, to two complete strangers.

Koriand'r watched them leave as the last of her strength left her tired and worn body, though she saw the female look back.

Kori knew the glance, however, meant nothing.

* * *

The infant's crying was becoming unbearable. Did Enoch seriously believe that the child, who he had paid for to breed Sollinn with the Tamaranean girl, could take over anything? And must Enoch keep the babe in such proximity to Sollinn herself? The nephilim didn't need a child as a distraction. It meant nothing to her, she had not carried it. Perhaps it shared her DNA, but the child still meant nothing.

The crying, however, became more persistent and urgent. Sollinn uttered an enraged growl, standing. Technically she was not allowed outside her chambers after the facility had been shut down, but if that damned baby was going to keep crying Sollinn was not staying to let the infant scream its lungs out. Sollinn walked to the infant's room, located just a few yards from her own, navigating the dark corridors with ease. She had snuck out often as a child, when she was young and rebellious.

Before she knew Enoch's true goal.

Sollinn tore the infant's door open, her eyes red with exhaustion. "Can't you be quiet?" Sollinn's silk voice asked, a soft growl to it as she stared down at the baby and the baby stared right back, its tiny eyes filled with tears. When Sollinn spoke, the baby quieted slightly- but Sollinn's tone only made the baby begin to cry again, harder this time. Perhaps as a last resort, Sollinn scooped the baby into her arms and held it close.

"You are too small to be this upset." Sollinn declared sternly. The baby quieted once in Sollinn's grasp, hiccupping softly. "Don't get used to this. I am not your mother."

 _Aren't you, though?_ Sollinn consciously chided herself.

"No." She muttered aloud, but only to herself. She rocked the baby a bit, staring at it. "I suppose you are a little cute." She admitted. "But cute does not help you in _this_ world."

A long silence settled over Sollinn and the now silent infant. "Perhaps you need a name, hm?" She asked, but then hesitated. She did not know the infant's gender. "I shall simply call you Nyx," Sollinn decided, "I suppose that will suffice for now." Having quieted the infant, she went to set it down- but it only began crying again.

"I thought we were beyond that." Sollinn chided. "Be quiet, I need my sleep." Every attempt to settle the baby back down, however, ended in tears and Sollinn's disapproval.

So, in the morning, the scientists found the half-angel holding the hybrid baby in her arms, having fallen asleep against the wall. They debated shaking Sollinn awake, though they knew the nephilim tended to be a bit... grouchy when woken by others. Enoch, however, had no plans in allowing Sollinn peace or to sleep in. He strode into the room, standing tall and proud. His black armor shone, red lines interconnecting on the metal surface. He had gone without his mask for the moment, his dark brown eyes cruel and narrowed. He could of been ageless, his face showed no signs of age and he appeared twenty, though he was truly nearing his forties. Stubble painted his slightly sunken cheeks. "Sollinn!" He growled sharply, kicking his steel boots into the side of her hip.

"The hell-?" Sollinn whimpered in pain, though she had succeeded in protecting her- or the- infant. The baby, Nyx, squirmed awake at the sudden jolt, its eyes filling with tears.

"You came into her room?" Enoch demanded. "I thought you would not claim her as your own?" He was almost mocking in his words.

"It is a she?" Sollinn asked, trying to pretend as though she did not care. "The child is not mine, I will not claim her." She added with a sniff, standing. She set the infant back into its bed, despite the infant's protesting sobs. _She wants her mother,_ Sollinn thought to herself, but she kept her eyes on Enoch. "I.. dubbed her Nyx. That is the one thing I would like to contribute."

Enoch's eyes hardened a bit. "I will only allow you the name. The child is my property now, my experiment. I trust you will not stand in my way."

Sollinn watched Enoch for a bit. She had questioned him once, but never again. He had been the one to give her the scar. "I will not question you. I will not be in the way." She lowered her head and gaze.

"Good." Enoch raised his chin. "Dr. Young, grab the infant. The age acceleration will run smoothly, I trust? We will need her for the mission as soon as possible." He turned to leave, his steps echoing through the halls. Dr. Young, a female, grabbed the baby and held her close to her chest. Sollinn watched, but she did not make a move to stop Dr. Young.

"Part Tamaranian, part human, part angel." Another scientist murmured in wonder, "Who do you think she'll take after?"

The scientists murmured among one another, perhaps taking bets, but Sollinn ignored their chatter. Perhaps she owed it to the Tamaranian girl, though she did not know why, to raise the... their?... child. To protect her. She sucked in a breath, and decided to follow Enoch.

* * *

Sollinn knew it had not been right to tamper with Nyx's genes, or with her hormonal patterns or growth. But had Enoch cared? Of course not. Why would Enoch care? Nyx was not his own, she was Sollinn's.

She was the Tamaranian girl's.

Nyx was only five, yet... there she lay, her eyes- the eyes she had inherited from her half-angel mother- closed, resembling (physically and mentally) a girl of around sixteen or seventeen. She had grown muscular, perhaps she had inherited that trait from Sollinn as well, but the skin tone- a mix of pale white and a bit of an orange tan- was a nice blend of Sollinn's and the slave girl's. The hair was also a blend, Sollinn's blonde and the slave's red. It was quite a few shades paler than the slave girl's, with some blonde streaks but still a bit reddened. The age acceleration had been completed within a couple weeks, the rest of the growth had come naturally and with a bit of time. The tubes and wires connected to Nyx, however, were new. Enoch was tracking her brain waves, her thought patterns, her intelligence, and also her prowess. The needles on the machine Nyx had been attached to were running high, perhaps nearly tipping the scale- whatever the 'scale' was. Sollinn watched, curious yet a bit angered. This was the first Sollinn had seen of her daughter in quite some time, as Enoch preferred to keep Nyx close to himself. The girl was unconscious at the moment, kept asleep by a few different drugs- the same drugs in which were holding her powers at bay.

"Sollinn and the Tamaranian were quite the match." Dr. Young commented, watching the machine needles peak and make odd noises. Sollinn didn't know what they meant, nor did she truly want to know, as she turned her gaze to the hybrid girl and listened.

"Yes." Enoch agreed, studying Nyx, then glancing back at Sollinn, "They were. Her powers have grown, she is getting stronger."

"Dr. Young, when shall we allow the little _monster_ to run loose?" He ignored the sleeping Nyx now, and he ignored Sollinn as well.

"I'm guessing soon," Dr. Young said, "But.. she will need training. Her powers are rather strong and a bit unstable due to her mixed heritage, but-"

"No." Enoch said simply.

"No?" Dr. Young asked, confused.

"We are turning her loose." Enoch said. "She knows so little anyhow, but she is our catalyst. She will bring the first target of heroes to their knees."

"And that target is...?" Dr. Young asked, a bit confused.

"The Teen Titans." Enoch said simply. "Sollinn."

Sollinn glanced up at him, frowning. "Hm?"

"Among your abilities is invisibility, isn't there?" Enoch asked, sounding a bit bored.

"Yes, but-"

"Good." He did not allow his charge to finish her sentence. "She means nothing to you, correct?"

"I.." Sollinn knew not of what to say. "Yes." After a moment's hesitation.

"Good." Enoch repeated. "Sollinn, you will trail her, but you will not make contact. Understood?"

"Enoch, I-"

"Understood?" His tone grew firm. Sollinn bit her tongue, offering a nod. She did not want to make him angry, but she wanted to protect the child.

"Understood." Sollinn said finally.

Enoch offered a smile. "Good girl, Sollinn." He turned to leave.

"Enoch." He turned, an eyebrow quirked. "You do not own me." Sollinn said.

"Yes." Enoch said, smirking. "I do."


	2. Chapter One

When Nyx woke up she was beyond freezing. The lab hadn't truly been warm, either, but it had been warmer than this... whatever _this_ was. She opened her bleary eyes, her hands and arms and legs shaking. Had she ever truly been this cold before? Nyx pushed herself to her feet and surveyed her surroundings. She was in an open space, with grass and trees and benches. It was dark out, and the darkness brought the cold that was chilling Nyx's bones. The sound of water ran through her ears, making her turn her head to examine the small river that ran beside her. After that, she looked down at herself. What she wore was not truly clothes, but rather the outfit she had worn during training: a thin black jumpsuit lacking sleeves and pantlegs, perhaps they could be considered shorts. She needed to find something warmer if she were going to keep her fingers and toes. She attempted to form an energy bolt in her hand for light and warmth, but the ball fizzled out with ease. She had created a pure one once, but she had struggled greatly. Her strength was also a problem at times, as was other aspects of her abilities and her basic structure, which she hated herself for. She hadn't asked to be created, and she silently cursed herself as she began walking. The grass felt cold yet pleasant beneath her bare feet, but once she reached the empty streets it did not feel as nice. The concrete was even colder and it scraped her skin and hurt.

Nyx cried out when she stepped on a broken bottle, the glass stabbing into the underside of her right foot. Nyx's blood coated her foot and the concrete, and she whimpered as tears spilled from her eyes. Enoch would disapprove of her weakness, but damn- it hurt like hell. She pressed on after a while, cold and bloody, in attempt to find shelter and, hopefully, food. Though she had only seen the woman a handful of times, and knew so little of her, Nyx wanted Sollinn to comfort her. Sollinn always tried, though sometimes she was a bit too direct or insensitive. She was, in a twisted way, motherly towards the younger girl. Nyx leaned against a building wall, tired from her walk. She had not gotten far, but the pain of her foot was slowing her down. She glanced at the window that belonged to the building she was using for support and saw her reflection for the first time in... well, forever. She had never seen herself before. Curious, she reached out to touch the glass pane, but- not having control over the alien strength she possessed- it shattered beneath her finger tips. Nyx yelped and jerked her hand back, her bright eyes wide with fear. A shrieking noise rang out loud and clear from the building, lights flashing and hurting Nyx's head. But inside the building were clothes. Warm clothes.

Nyx bit her lip, and hesitated, but she was cold and she needed it. She threw herself inside, but cursed at herself when she landed on more glass. The pointed edges dug into her skin and drew more crimson from her bronze skin and it hurt like a thousand of the scientists' needles pricking her skin. She whimpered and snatched a large gray sweatshirt and threw it over her frame. She had just reached for a pair of pants when sirens began to wail and more flashing lights appeared. She turned, her hair whipping behind her, to see the men- perhaps ten or more- pointing their shiny weapons at her. "Hands up where we can see them!" A burly man demanded. Nyx panicked, and she raised her hands- but due to her emotions and her status, an energy bolt formed and launched itself towards the men. They managed to get out of the way, but the cars they had come in were not so lucky. One exploded in a ball of flame and smoke.

"No, no!" Nyx panicked as the men began to radio for help. She ignored the pain the glass caused her and threw herself out into the open, her hands encased with glowing, white energy. A sudden wind was picking up, whirling Nyx's fiery locks around her face. She was still panicked, and her heart throbbed against her chest.

 _Do not be afraid._ A voice in her head told her, it was calming and gentle and it sounded familiar but she could not place it at the moment. It brought warmth into her, comforting her. But she was still in danger. _They will come, but you must stay strong. Look to the sky._

Nyx did as told, looking up into the dark blue abyss.

A green bird.

Two flying girls.

On the ground a blue and white vehicle approached her, going faster than Nyx could handle.

 _Stand firm. You are stronger than that car and you know it. Look at it, focus your fear and unleash it._

Nyx hesitated, but stared at the car and sucked in a deep breath. Her eyes burned slightly, almost as though they were itchy, and she released her emotions in a shocking ball of light. The car swerved to avoid it and ended up slamming into a wall. Nyx whimpered softly, she didn't want to hurt anyone. The green bird became a giant animal with a curved horn on its face, but Nyx didn't know the word for the beast.

 _Grab it, now!_ Nyx obeyed the voice, her shaking and bloodied hands reaching out and grasping the horn on the beast's face. _Swing!_ And she did, flinging the animal sideways.

 _Good girl. But they will not give up easily. Use your strength and your instincts._

Nyx listened to the voice, but soon it disappeared. She realized she was on her own know and steadied herself as another came at her, a female wearing a blue cape. Nyx took in another shaky breath, encasing her hands in the starbolts again. The female mirrored her moves, but the energy that encased the female's hands was dark. Her eyes glowed white, though Nyx's began to glow blue. The female began a chant, which confused Nyx a bit but she didn't allow the woman to finish. She threw a bolt of energy at the woman, cutting her off and throwing her to the side. Another energy bolt formed around her hand to replace the one Nyx had shot, glowing fierce and brighter than before. Was she growing stronger, or gaining more control. Or did it truly matter?

A boy with spiky hair darted towards Nyx, attempting hand-to-hand combat rather than using powers. Nyx could 'read' him, if that was the right word. Perhaps he had no abilities, but that did not mean he was not strong. He kicked at her, and Nyx blocked it with her arm but it still hurt. He threw a punch, Nyx darted out of the way. Her heart was racing, she did not want to fight any further. Her energy bolts dissipated as the boy threw another punch at her, but Nyx could not block the one he threw. So, she caught it in her own fist, her eyes wide. The boy seemed surprised, too, but Nyx couldn't allow him to recover. She gathered her strength and pulled downwards. The boy hit the ground with a grunt as Nyx grabbed onto one of his legs, swinging and letting go. He slammed into the green animal- who was now a green human?- and both of them fell over and onto the ground.

Another came, half-metal and half-man, his arm becoming a glowing blue cannon. He fired at Nyx, who raised her hands in defense but only succeeded in shooting a ray of energy into the metal man's. The beams, for a while, counteracted and neutralized each other. They swirled into a gleaming light; bright and fierce, creating a ball of energy in the center that pulsed and grew. Nyx gritted her teeth and dug up the little strength that remained within her. Her energy beam pushed stronger, overpowering the metal man's. In the end, she was victorious. The force of the explosion caused by the energy of the beams threw the metal man backward and into the two Nyx had already knocked down.

"Had enough?" A low, raspy voice asked Nyx. The girl, who was indeed tired, turned around. She found herself staring at the cloaked one again. She chose not to reply for a while, but when she did her voice shook.

"I don't want to fight." She pleaded. "I don't want this, please-" Nyx pitched forward, having been struck aside by the cloaked one's dark energy. The darkness hurt her, perhaps it was affecting some part of her in some way she was not aware of. After all, Nyx hardly knew anything of her genetics- perhaps the cloaked one could counteract Nyx in ways she did not know. Nyx hit the wall and collapsed onto the ground, the impact tearing the breath from her lungs. She tried to heave the air inward, coughing fitfully. The cloaked one stood above her, glowing white eyes glowering down at her.

"Stop," A new voice pleaded. "Raven, she is wounded."

"So are our friends." The cloaked one, Raven, said.

"No." The newcomer said. "She is bleeding. That is not from them." The newcomer's voice was gentle, soft. The opposite of Sollinn's.

"Starfire, I-"

"Please, Raven." Nyx raised her head to look at the owner of the new voice, her gaze threatening to fall closed. She had used so much power already, so much energy that she was not accustomed to using. The girl who spoke, not Raven but Starfire, was tall and skinny. She resembled Nyx in a few ways, but she was still very different. She was thinner, yet just- if not more- as strong. Her eyes were green, and they were locked onto Nyx. She seemed confused, but also... well, Nyx couldn't place the emotion. Raven seemed to stand down, though very reluctantly, and stepped aside once Starfire approached. "Sit up, now." The woman's voice was stern, yet still soft. Nyx tried her best. "Where are you from?"

"I.. I don't know what it's called." Nyx wheezed, still not having caught her breath.

"What is your name?"

"Nyx," She said simply, her chest and side and _everything_ aching. She looked up at the girl, the energy fading from her eyes. Starfire's eyes widened slightly once she was able to see Nyx's eyes- not the energy that hid them- in recognition. But she seemed to push it down as she spoke again, her voice shaking slightly.

"Will you let me help you?" Starfire asked. Nyx hesitated, not knowing what to say. She didn't know these people, and what if Enoch found her with them? What would Enoch do?

"I-" Nyx started, but she never got to finish. A jolt of pain racked her body and she slumped forward, but Starfire prevented her from hitting the ground. The Tamaranian held the slumped form close, rocking her slightly.

* * *

 _Please, let me hold her just once._

The words echoed in Starfire's mind. "Is it truly you?" Starfire whispered to the still form.

"Starfire!" Robin approached her, looking a bit troubled. "Are you okay? Did she hurt you?"

"Hurt me? No, I am.." Starfire sucked in a breath. "I am fine."

"You look... worried. Are you sure..?" Raven asked, an eyebrow quirked.

"I have seen her before." Starfire said quietly. "Once."

"Is she from your planet?" Cyborg asked, appearing behind the others.

"Yeah, I mean, she looks kinda like you." Beast Boy said, having appeared with the others.

Starfire's gaze remained locked on the unconscious girl. "No. She... has never been to Tamaran.. but, she does descend from there." She moved to brush the fiery hair from the girl's bloodied face, her touch lingering slightly.

"Is she a cousin?" Robin asked, just as confused as the others.

"No." Starfire said quietly. "I.. please, let me take her with us. We will keep her under surveillance, but.. there is much I must explain."


	3. Chapter Two

Starfire had told the others how to contain the girl. If the girl was truly _her_ girl, this would work. But... her girl would only be five. Not a day went by where Starfire did not think of the child she lost, but despite knowing how old her child would be she knew the uncanny resemblance the girl shared with her. She watched the slumbering form quietly, anxious and deep within thought.

"What is it you need to tell us?" Robin asked, watching quietly. They had allowed Starfire to observe the girl for a while, but Robin got the sense Starfire was stalling- or hiding something. Starfire only sighed, moved to touch the girl's face, but hesitated and dropped her hand.

"When I was taken by the Gordanians," Starfire said softly, "I was.. for a time.. a slave."

"We know," Cyborg said, "We learned that when we met, remember?"

Starfire sighed again, but she continued to stare at the girl. "Yes. But... there was a time when I was a.. different type of slave." Her teammates frowned, concerned yet still a bit confused. So, Starfire pressed on. "Sometimes, if someone was willing to offer a high enough price, the Gordanians would... breed.. their prisoners. I was only bred once, and I never knew who my counterpart was.. there was no intercourse involved, just a shot and it was over but.." Starfire's sentence trailed off as she stared at the girl. "My child would be five. Should be five." She murmured. "But this one looks so similar to myself that perhaps..." Starfire's teammates said nothing. Perhaps they didn't know what to say or do, they had not known about much of Starfire's time with the Gordanians- Robin included. "Perhaps with the right technology whoever took her from me could of tampered with her genetics." Starfire continued quietly. She reached out and touched the girl's cheek, this time without hesitation.

"I... I never knew that happened to you." Robin said finally. "I'm sorry."

"I was too, for a time." Starfire admitted. "I... I did not ever get to hold her. As soon as she was there, she was gone. I never named her. Perhaps I grieved a bit." The alien girl seemed to shrug.

"Why did she show up now, of all times?" Cyborg speculated, looking curiously at Starfire and what could be her estranged daughter.

"I do not know." Starfire admitted. "I doubt she has ever known of me. I do not know who took her."

"Maybe she will." Beast Boy said, standing. "She did attack us, after all."

"She was scared." Raven admitted. "I could feel it."

Their chatter continued, but Starfire concerned herself with other things. She bent to observe the girl's wound or if there was anything that could give her a clue as to where the girl had come from. She, first, began to clean the wounds caused by the glass that had dug into Nyx's skin. Star's thoughts were in disarray, she was simply a mess of emotion and just... nothing and everything all at once. She had never believed she would see the child again, then again she didn't know if this was her child. The girl's skin was nearly flawless, just as Starfire's was, aside from one thing. Along the backs of Nyx's arms and legs, and down her spine, were scars about the size of quarters. They were puckered, and looked as though they had hurt at one time, but perhaps they no longer bothered the girl.

"We could do a blood test, you know." Robin said, kneeling beside Starfire. Cyborg stood behind them. "Test the DNA. Maybe find out more about, uh.."

"She said her name was Nyx." Starfire said quietly, watching the girl's chest rise and fall. "Perhaps it would work. I do not see the harm in it." Reluctantly, Starfire stood. Star's eyes, however, were still trained on the unconscious girl. "She looks like me, you know." Star said quietly. "But her eyes are not mine. They're blue, I remember that. She cried when they took her away." Starfire felt her heart sink a bit in remembrance. "I.. I just wanted to hold her once."

Robin put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Star."

Starfire said nothing in return to Robin's statement, she only commented on the girl. "How long will she be asleep?"

"A few hours." Cyborg said, folding his arms over his chest. "I shocked her pretty hard."

"She will be.. okay?" Starfire asked, chewing on her lip slightly.

"I'm sure she'll be fine. 'Sides, if she's really part Tamaranian, she'll heal quickly." Cyborg said. "But, maybe since she's down now we can draw some blood. She might put up a fight if she's awake."

Robin shrugged. "It's Star's call," He said, looking at the alien princess. "What do you say, Star?"

Starfire paused, thinking. "I.. I suppose it is a good idea. Go ahead." She watched as Cyborg, after a few minutes of preparation, readied a needle and stuck it into the girl's forearm and she watched as the syringe filled with crimson quickly. Starfire almost winced, but she controlled herself. When Cyborg finished with the girl, Starfire offered her arm willingly to her friend. Star winced when the needle entered her flesh, but when the small amount of pain subsided she was fine. All she could think of was the girl, if she was _her_ girl. What would things be like if Nyx was the child Starfire had lost? The thought had too many possibilities, too many factors. Thinking of what could happen made her head spin.

"I'll analyze these now," Cyborg said once he was finished. "And I'll get back to you in a bit."

Starfire only offered a tired nod.

"Maybe you should rest," Robin offered Starfire, frowning softly.

"No." Starfire told him. "I wish to be here when she wakes." Starfire pulled up a chair and sat in front of the girl's slumped form, observing every detail of the girl. "Could we.. perhaps.. make her more comfortable?" Starfire's voice was meek. "I do not like seeing her suspended like some prize."

"I.. sure," Robin said. "But, we'll have to secure her. She might be dangerous."

"As long as she does not hang like this," Starfire said, standing. She went to unhook Nyx's restraints, holding the girl close.

 _Please, let me hold her just once._

Starfire shivered slightly, running her finger over the girl's chin. She caught the sight of another scar, but a tiny one. It was white, perhaps an inch long, on that ran diagonally across her lower lip. "If it is truly you," Starfire whispered, "I will not let go again." She settled the sleeping girl onto a table, reluctantly allowing Robin to restrain her again. Starfire grabbed the same chair she had pulled up before and sat beside the girl, taking her limp hand in her own.

"I never chose a name for her." Starfire murmured, partly to Robin and partly to herself. "I was afraid to. I should of."

"You knew you couldn't." Robin said, standing beside her. "Things happen for a reason, Star."

"Then what was hers?" Starfire asked tiredly, referring to Nyx.

"I don't know, Star.." Robin murmured. "I don't know."

* * *

"The Titans took her, did they not?" Enoch asked, watching Sollinn intently.

"They did." Sollinn said, standing straight and still. "Was that your plan?"

"His plan?" A voice, feminine and cold, asked. It seemed to be laughing. "It was never _his_ plan, sweetie. It's mine. Gotta start somewhere, don't I?"

Sollinn didn't look towards the voice. Something in her head, perhaps her father's influence, told her not to. "Whatever your plan is, will you ever allow me to know?"

"Why would I?" Enoch asked. "Is she not your daughter?"

"She means nothing to me." Sollinn growled, gritting her teeth. "She-"

"If she means nothing, why help her fight?" Enoch asked smoothly.

"I wanted to give her a chance." Sollinn said levelly. "I-"

"You attempted to see her many times, did you not?"

"She is my child." Sollinn growled, glaring at Enoch. "Do I no longer have the right to see what is my own-"

"You said you would not interfere. You did not wish to claim her."

"Would you of given me a choice?" Sollinn demanded. "She was not a decision I planned to make. I did not conceive her. I did not plan to conceive her. I-"

"Woah, now, girlie." The female voice chuckled. "If anything, she's mine. She's my niece, y'know. My blood."

"But not your daughter." Sollinn growled. "Not yours. You wish to use her, you-"

"And what would you do?" The voice asked sweetly. "What can you do, hm? You're a warrior, a fighter. You're just as good as my sister's little friend... the demon one."

"I am not descended from any demon." Sollinn growled. "My father, Dumah-"

"Oh, blah blah blah." The voice mocked. "I don't care about your father. I don't care about you or my little sis. I don't care about your little kiddie. Now, why don't you stand aside.."


End file.
